FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We take absolute beginners on ALL our rafting trips. No previous rafting experience is necessary for any of our trips! All instructions will be provided.

More than 90% of our clients are first time rafters. As long as you are minimum 12 years old, weigh at least 90lbs (41kgs) and are physically active (you have to paddle and help carry the rafts to and from the river), you can take part in our Intermediate trips.

For rafting trips, all participants will be fitted with all the necessary gear, which includes life jackets (PFD) and wetsuits, therefore no swimming ability is required. Although it is very unlikely you would end up in the water, you will be given a pre-trip safety briefing that covers instructions on what to do if this situation was to occur.

Prior to getting in the raft, your guide will provide a full safety demonstration and instruction briefing. With any water-based activity like rafting, there is always a small chance of falling into the water. However, on our trips, as long as you are following all the instructions from the guide, this very rarely happens. During the briefing, your guide will explain what to do in the unlikely event that you do end up in the water.

For paddle rafting, our rafts can accommodate 6 to 10 passengers. Our paddle assist rafts accommodate 6 to 8 passengers.

Boat configuration is at the discretion of raft guides and will be determined on the day based on overall group size. While the best effort is made to keep groups together in same raft, due to logistics, this cannot be guaranteed.

In both methods each clients uses a paddle to help maneuver the raft down the river. In “paddle” rafting on our Novice, Class 2 trips the guide sits in the rear and uses a paddle to steer the raft through the rapids. In “paddle assist” rafting the guide uses a unique rear mounted rowing frame, complete with oars to steer the raft. We use this technique for our Intermediate rivers, graded Class 3 or higher, to allow our guides greater control of the rafts.

Rivers and trips are graded on an international scale that ranges from the easiest Class 1 to the near impossible Class 6. As the numbers get higher the difficulty and excitement increase.

Our goal is to provide our guests with the most enjoyable rafting experience possible. 

The Class 2 Athabasca Expressway and Class 2+ Athabasca Canyon Run trips are great for families of mixed ages and apprehensive first time rafters — participants must be at least 5 years old. 

The Class 3 Sunwapta and Class 3+ Fraser are perfect for both beginners and experienced rafters looking for whitewater excitement — participants must be at least 12 years old and weigh a minimum of 90lbs/41kg. 

Use this guidance to help you decide which of the trips we offer is right for you and your family.

The rivers are both Class 3 and both provide an exciting trip catered to absolute beginners (over 12 years old and min. 90 pounds). They are just a slightly different style of rapids. The Sunwapta River has slightly smaller rapids but very fast and more continuous, whereas on the Fraser River, the rapids are larger but broken up into sections with smaller rapids in between — on the Fraser, you get a nice breather between each larger set. Also about halfway down the Fraser River run, we bring the rafts to the shore for a short portage around Rearguard Falls. You get a nice view of the falls! The only other difference to note is that the Fraser River trip is a 5-hour round-trip including transportation from Jasper (2 hours on-water time), which is a little longer than the Sunwapta, which is 4-hour round-trip (1.5 hours on-water time).

All our rivers are within the level where you don’t need any previous experience, and typically adults have more fun on one of our Class 3 options. The class 2+ is suited to families with young kids (from 5 years old) and has small splashy rapids with calm floats between. If you are active adults looking for an exciting white water experience, you might find it a bit mild. The Fraser River is the largest white water in the area. It has large rolling rapids, but they are broken up into sections with smaller white water in between, so you get a nice break between each larger set. It is an exciting and fun trip but still within the Class 3 range, which is suitable for beginners – nothing too crazy. Your river guide does all the steering of the raft and all instructions are provided. The rapids on the Sunwapta are slightly smaller than the Fraser but fast and more consistent. It starts with a calm float, but once you start hitting the rapids, it is continuous until the end (no calmer breaks in between). Either the Sunwapta River or the Fraser River would be a good choice for you.

• Class 2 Athabasca Expressway: the total round-trip time is 2 hours, which includes approximately 1 hour on the water, transport to/from river, safety briefing, and time to change into/out of equipment. 
• Class 2+ Canyon Run: the total round-trip time is 3.5 hours, which includes approximately 1.5 hours on the water, transport to/from river, safety briefing, and time to change into/out of equipment. 
• Class 3 Sunwapta: the total round-trip time is 4 hours, which includes approximately 1.5 hours on the water, transport to/from river, safety briefing, and time to change into/out of equipment. 
• Class 3+ Fraser River: the total round-trip time is 5 hours, which includes approximately 2 hours on the water, transport to/from river, safety briefing, and time to change into/out of equipment.

Rafting trips depart rain or shine. Because of the mountains, storms moving through Jasper National Park are patchy and tend to pass quickly. It is very rare for a trip to be canceled due to weather. In the instance of lightning in close proximity to our rafting area, the trip would be postponed slightly and would continue once the storm passes. If the weather is cold or stormy or if you tend to get cold easily, you should bring extra clothing to wear under your paddle jacket. Polypropylene, fleece or wool garments provide the best insulation when wet (no cotton).

We supply licensed raft guides, self-bailing rafts, all necessary technical equipment including paddles, wetsuits, neoprene booties, paddle jackets, and life jackets. On the Sunwapta and Fraser rivers, helmets are also supplied. Helmets are NOT necessary for Athabasca Expressway & Canyon Run and therefore not supplied nor permitted for insurance reasons.

We supply wetsuits, paddle jackets, life jackets, neoprene booties, and helmets (if applicable). You will need to wear a swimsuit (or swim shorts) under the wetsuit, so please be ready with your swimsuit on under your normal street clothes to make the change process easier once down by the river. Bring a towel and warm clothing for afterward. Trips do depart rain or shine, therefore, if the weather is cold or stormy or if you tend to get cold easily, you should bring extra clothing to wear under your paddle jacket. Polypropylene, fleece or wool garments provide the best insulation when wet (no cotton). We also suggest you bring some water and a snack to enjoy after the trip. You will leave all belongings in the bus while on the river, and the bus will meet you at the river take-out.

We do not have changing rooms by the river. The guides will lay out a tarp, and some people choose to change on the bus. We suggest already having your swimsuit on under your street clothes. This way you can just slip on the wetsuit on over your swimsuit. For anyone that is uncomfortable, there is an outhouse available at the river put-in location.

The Fraser River and Sunwapta River both have outhouses at the river entry and exit points. However, the Athabasca Expressway and Canyon Run trips only have an outhouse at the river entry point. It is worth noting though that from the exit point of these trips, it is only a short 5 or 15-minute drive back to Jasper town, and there is a public washroom building located in the carpark where the bus will drop you off.

We have wetsuits in all sizes including larger sizes up to 4 x XL (4XL).

Anything you bring with you, you can leave on the bus. Our driver will lock the bus while unattended. We’ve never had any issues, but for your own peace of mind, we suggest leaving valuables securely stored at your hotel.

Typically the helmets do help keep them on. However, being in a water environment, we cannot guarantee it. It would therefore be at your own risk. Depending on the style of your glasses, you may be able to buy straps that fit onto your glasses.

Due to the water environment, we don’t recommend clients bring personal cameras or phones on the river. However, clients are welcome to bring a GoPro if they wish. On the Sunwapta and Fraser, most of our helmets have GoPro Mounts. You will need to bring your own GoPro housing case. On the Athabasca Expressway and Athabasca Canyon Run, helmets are not required and therefore won’t be supplied. To use your GoPro on either of those trips we recommend bringing a chest strap.

The Canyon Run starts at the base of Athabasca Falls. However, the waterfall drops through a deep and narrow canyon, therefore it is not possible to see the actual full waterfall from our launch point at the base of the falls. The bus, however, does drive across a bridge that overlooks the falls on our approach to the river put-in location. If you sit on the left side of the bus, you may get a brief glimpse of the falls. To explore the area fully, we suggest returning later with your own vehicle. The falls are just 30 km from Jasper downtown.

All participants wishing to go on our rafting trips are required to sign our standard liability waiver prior to departing on any of our rafting trips. Those under 18 require a parent or guardian to sign for them. There are no exceptions to this.

You would need to accompany them. All minors (under 18) must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Due to our safety protocol and licensing requirements, children must be at least 5 years old to go on our rafting trips.

For safety reasons, participants must be both 12 years old and over 90 pounds/41 kg. We are bound by our licensing body to adhere to these requirements. The weight is required to help them stay in the boat, and the age restriction is in place to ensure participants are deemed old enough to have the mental capacity for self-rescue.

For insurance purposes, the Fraser River Rapids are classified as a Class 3, so your current insurance policy should be sufficient.

Check-in is required 15 minutes before departure in the public parking lot (Cnr Connaught Drive & Hazel Avenue) beside washroom building, opposite Shell Gas Station. Look for White Maligne Rafting Van. Paid all day public parking is available in this same parking lot, including limited RV parking.

Unfortunately not. Hotel pick-up is only available for our sightseeing tours. All rafting tours instead meet in the public parking lot (Cnr Connaught Drive & Hazel Avenue) beside washroom building, opposite Shell Gas Station. Look for White Maligne Rafting Van. Paid all day public parking is available in this same parking lot, including limited RV parking.

Bookings (7 persons or less) are subject to a 48 hour Cancellation/Change Policy. Refunds/changes require a minimum of 48 hours/2 day notice. Bookings are non-refundable within 48 hours of departure. Group Bookings (8 or more persons) are subject to a 7 day Cancellation/Change Policy. Full refunds require a minimum of 7 days notice. Bookings are non-refundable within 7 days of departure. We reserve the right to cancel with full refund or modify any trip at our discretion.

We use air-conditioned, RV-style buses with large windows. These buses hold a maximum of 24 passengers. However, we only sell to a maximum of 21 passengers to allow the extra room for guests to move around during stops.

Our wildlife guides are in constant communication about wildlife movements and patterns within Jasper National Park and will choose their route each day accordingly. Typically, they will choose a mixture of main highways and smaller local roads. The tour travels on registered paved roads and does not travel off-road. As the guide will be doing their best to maximize your chance to find a variety of wildlife, they may aim to cover a wider area and reach a number of specific spots where different animals have been frequenting. Other times, the area they cover may be smaller. This is always dependent on the observed animal movement patterns at that time.

In the summer season, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, bears, and bald eagles are the most common animals to be sighted. Occasionally, you may also spot moose, mountain goats or coyotes. In the winter season, we often spot elk, bighorn sheep, coyotes and occasionally moose or wolves. With the animals being wild, we can never make guarantees as to what you’ll find on each tour. However, having this flexibility of route, along with the local knowledge of the guide, increases your chances of encounters. You’ll also have the chance to learn interesting facts about the animals, their behaviours and habitats as your guide provides commentary and answers your questions along the way.

This is a vehicle-based tour. In accordance with Parks Canada regulations all wildlife viewing must be from within the vehicle.

Typically, the animals tend to be most active in both the early morning and evening, so there isn’t any guaranteed difference between the two times. Generally, we would suggest choosing the time that matches best with your schedule. While with wild animals the sightings do vary from day to day, going with a local guide at their most active time of day increases your chances for encounters.

The Wildlife Tour is typically geared more towards adults, providing educational commentary along the way. While wildlife sightings are frequent, the experience differs significantly from a zoo visit.  Due to the unpredictable nature of wild animals, sightings occur intermittently during the 3-hour tour and vary from day to day. Based on our observations, young children often become restless as there are no scheduled stops on this vehicle-based tour. Therefore, we recommend a minimum age of 5 years. Although not recommended, children and infants under 5 years old are welcome, provided a seat is purchased for them at the child rate (all passengers regardless of age are required to be allocated a seat on the bus). For those bringing infants, we recommend bringing a baby carrier which can be secured with the provided seat belts on our buses. Alternatively, babysitting services are available through http://myjaspernanny.ca.

We suggest you bring a water bottle and dress comfortably for the predicted temperatures of the day. If you wish, you can bring a small snack, however we recommend saving your main meals for either before or after the tour as there are no scheduled stops en route.

There is no toilet on the bus. However, if given enough notice, the guide will find an outhouse en route for you to use should nature call.